Applying To US DO Med Schools - FAQs, Guidance & Canadian Friendly Schools

[tayyabpirzada]

Theoretically that means I would be applying in 3 years and the MCAT would still be valid. I just want to take the MCAT anyway just to see how it's like. I may end up taking the MCAT 2015 as well if it comes to it, but whatever.

[COMSA-premed]

That highly depends on if it needs to be valid at the time of application, or matriculation. That is something you should research.

[COMSA-premed]

Just a reminder that there will be the seminar at UofC Health Science Centre HS1405B tonight (Monday Feb 10th) from 4-6PM

[hedwig]

Wondering if COMSA-premed could verify whether the information under "International Practice Rights" on this wiki page is up to date and accurate? I know on the very first page of this thread (and throughout it) it's been stated that in ON and BC, Canadians graduating from a US DO school can apply for residency through Carms in the first iteration.

 

Specifically, I'm wondering when the wiki page says that practice rights are unlimited in the other Canadian provinces and territories listed (PEI, NS, Saskatchewan...), does that mean we can apply for residencies in those provinces/territories in the first iteration as well? (or do they mean that once we've completed residency in the US or BC/ON, we can then practice in those provinces/territories?)

[hedwig]

sorry, this is the page I'm referring to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_of_Osteopathic_Medicine

[hedwig]

Thanks! Will do some more googling. Mashmetoo, I saw your previous posts stating that you'll be busy with interviews for residency (I think those posts were from 2013), when will you find out the results/where you matched? And did you interview in both Canada and the US? Good luck!

[hedwig]

So looking through CARMS' website and found this table https://www.carms.ca/en/r-1-main-residency ("Summary of intake criteria for International Medical Graduates (IMG) by province")

 

Almost everyone has said that IMGs are in the second iteration, yet this table shows that every province allows them to apply for first iteration (yes, with clauses and return of service contracts). Just curious if this was a recent change? Or am I missing something?

[Mashmetoo]

So looking through CARMS' website and found this table https://www.carms.ca/en/r-1-main-residency ("Summary of intake criteria for International Medical Graduates (IMG) by province")

 

Almost everyone has said that IMGs are in the second iteration, yet this table shows that every province allows them to apply for first iteration (yes, with clauses and return of service contracts). Just curious if this was a recent change? Or am I missing something?

 

 

Something I made a while back.

There's the IMG 1st iteration which is a separate stream versus the CMG 1st iteration.

[infamyofinternal]

I'll be persistent with my insistence that UBC/CARMS will love AMGs application fees, but they won't be ranked at UBC. Mash, did you apply to UBC?

[Mashmetoo]

Things just got a LOT easier for Canadian DOs in the US!! Repercussions will be felt for the decades to come for Canadians at DO schools!

 

http://www.osteopathic.org/inside-aoa/Pages/ACGME-single-accreditation-system.aspx

 

Feb. 26, 2014​

 

After months of discussion, the AOA, along with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM), have agreed to a single accreditation system for graduate medical education programs in the United States.

 

A single graduate medical education (GME) accreditation system will evaluate and provide accountability for the competency of physician residents consistently across all GME programs. This ensures the quality and efficiency of postdoctoral education, while preserving the unique dimensions of the osteopathic medical profession and recognizing its contribution to health care in the U.S.

 

Under the agreement:

 

From July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2020, AOA-accredited training programs will transition to ACGME recognition and accreditation.

 

There will continue to be osteopathic-focused training programs under the ACGME accreditation system. Two osteopathic review committees will be developed to evaluate and set standards for the osteopathic aspects of training programs seeking osteopathic recognition.

 

DOs and MDs would have access to all training programs. There will be prerequisite competencies and a recommended program of training for MD graduates who apply for entry into osteopathic-focused programs.

AOA and AACOM will become ACGME member organizations, and each will have representation on ACGME’s board of directors.

 

The agreement provides the framework for the osteopathic and allopathic communities to prepare future generations of physicians with the highest quality graduate medical education and serve as a unified voice for graduate medical education resources to help mitigate the primary care physician shortage and better serve the public.

 

As stated in the joint press release issued today, a single GME accreditation system ensures that all physicians have access to the primary and sub-specialty training they need for the patients they want to serve. For the osteopathic medical profession, the system recognizes the unique principles and practices of DOs and their contribution to the health and well-being of all Americans.

[MartinG]

Things just got a LOT easier for Canadian DOs in the US!! Repercussions will be felt for the decades to come for Canadians at DO schools!

 

http://www.osteopathic.org/inside-aoa/Pages/ACGME-single-accreditation-system.aspx

 

Is it possible the it will actually get harder for DOs? Since AOA programs can now take MDs? It increases the competitive for AOA residencies without decreasing the competitiveness of ACGME residencies.

[advair250]

The AOA residencies being ACGME accredited, won't really have any effect- unless you were that 1 odd Canadian DO who was at the bottom of the class and couldn't even get a ACGME primary care residency.

 

Great news for IMGs though, they have a couple hundred more AOA FM spots that no one wants, to fill and temporarily slow the crunch against them.

[Mashmetoo]

Is it possible the it will actually get harder for DOs? Since AOA programs can now take MDs? It increases the competitive for AOA residencies without decreasing the competitiveness of ACGME residencies.

 

I doubt it, I think it's a great thing for Canadian DOs, and will do wonders for us in the US and Canada. This whole issue of the separation of AOA and ACGME has been a headache for us for years. Canada only recognizes ACGME stuff, now that the AOA and indirectly, COCA will be under the ACGME umbrella, Canada has a harder basis to disqualify AOA stuff based simply on the fact that it is not ACGME... basically, now we can say AOA/COCA accredited programs/schools are really ACGME accredited.. the repercussions are still unknown, but I'm sure the Canadian DO profession will start to push on this hard... very soon. At least I will.

 

Also, things will get better this way: For instance, a lot of these competitive AOA specialties like Orthopedics, EM, anesthesiology were closed to Canadians - because they were not ACGME, and Canadian DOs cannot come back to CAnada had they gone to these programs. Now, with the merger, Canadian DOs can in theory go to these formerly AOA residencies and still come to Canada afterwards because they will all be ACGME programs by 2020. These formerly AOA specialty programs are still run by DOs, so they might still have a preference for their own in exactly the same way that specialty MD programs have a preference for MDs in the upper echelons.

 

As for visas, it seems the formerly AOA programs are at least J1 sponsoring (which was an issue before because a Canadian in such an AOA program had to come back to Canada after graduation for 2 years.. and their AOA training wasn't recognized). Now with the merger, the J1 visa is no longer as much an issue because the AOA program is now ACGME, and they can in theory come back to Canada to practice as ACGME training is recognized.

 

Also, a stipulation is that for a MD to match into a formerly AOA specialty program or any program, they have to have some additional training in the osteopathic arts - whatever that means.... As for how many MDs will bother do additional training in OMM or related stuff in order to match into a formerly AOA specialty.. who knows. Only time will tell.

[Mashmetoo]

The AOA residencies being ACGME accredited, won't really have any effect- unless you were that 1 odd Canadian DO who was at the bottom of the class and couldn't even get a ACGME primary care residency.

 

Great news for IMGs though, they have a couple hundred more AOA FM spots that no one wants, to fill and temporarily slow the crunch against them.

 

Agreed, I think this is a win-win-win for MDs,DOs,IMGs alike.

 

MDs can theoretically match into formerly AOA specialties.. they'll be asked to do some additional training in OMM/DO stuff - which will hopefully migrate that area of medicine into the allopathic world.

DOs don't have to bother with two separate matches now, and it definitely helps the cause in Canada in ways that are yet unforeseen.

IMGs get a few thousand additional primary care/family medicine residency programs that usually go unfilled anyway lol.. good on them.

 

**oops clicked the wrong button, didn't edit your post, meant to quote it**

[Mashmetoo]

I'm already getting messages from Canadians at DO schools saying that they now plan to gun for formerly AOA accredited orthopedics programs in light of this merger lol....

 

Things are looking good for us.

[Falling]

This has probably been covered, but, is the Science GPA more important in admissions than overall GPA?

 

My science GPA (assuming Math doesnt count as a science for DO courses) is significantly higher than my overall GPA. From a 3.0 to about a 4.0.

[Slashsev]

they look at all

 

i doubt it will get red flag (unless it was the other way around)

[Falling]

they look at all

 

i doubt it will get red flag (unless it was the other way around)

 

Thanks.

 

I missed 2 classes when I calculated the GPA for my first degree, making the overall (across both degrees) around 2.97. My concern is that I'll be autoscreened out.

 

Every class I've taken since starting my first degree has been an 4.0, so I do have a very strong upwards trend, but I cannot defeat a computer.

[lmnprtymn]

If I can't find any DOs to shadow, only MDs, how big of a red flag is that in an application?

[COMSA-premed]

If I can't find any DOs to shadow, only MDs, how big of a red flag is that in an application?

 

No red flag, very few schools absolutely require a DO letter, and some that do will even give you a DO letter from one of their clinicians at the interview(re: SDN).

 

An MD letter is fine. They understand not all area's have DO's, especially in Canada.

[Shroomz]

Can someone who is studying at a DO school chance me? 3.4 cum GPA, unique ECAs, some research (no pubs, 1 poster presentation), clinical experience (md shadowing, trying to find DOs to shadow, hospital volunteering experience). Taking MCAT in late july, working for a 33+ score. I really want to get into WUHS-COMP. Give it to me straight if I stand a chance. Thanks.

[thegame11]

Can someone who is studying at a DO school chance me? 3.4 cum GPA, unique ECAs, some research (no pubs, 1 poster presentation), clinical experience (md shadowing, trying to find DOs to shadow, hospital volunteering experience). Taking MCAT in late july, working for a 33+ score. I really want to get into WUHS-COMP. Give it to me straight if I stand a chance. Thanks.

 

Very high chance if you are able to achieve your target mcat.

[Slashsev]

good chance even with 28-30 area

 

apply broadly

[Gundabba]

Hey everyone,

 

Newbie and long time lurker here! I am hoping that someone can advise me what I should do. I am a McGill biochemistry graduate with gpa: 3.74 and MCAT: 32 (PS:11, BS:11, VR:10). I am interested in applying to D.O. school this upcoming cycle. I was introduced to DO by a friend of mine.

 

Average EC. Some researches. Doctor shadowing back in my native country, though I am Canadian. I am interested in applying to UNECOM, LMU-DCOM, NOVA, MSU and WesternU. The problem is that some of the schools demand that I have MD letter or better yet DO letter. As of now, I don't have either but I would be happy to get one. Is there anyway I can shadow a DO in Ontario for a few days to get the LoR? I am also nervous about the fact that some schools like WesternU have behavior science as prereq. I don't think I have ever that kind of courses. Do you think it will affect my chances of being accepted into DO school?

 

Any advises are greatly appreaciated.

[toastedbread]

Hello,

 

I hope this is the proper forum for application questions. I've done my share of research but could not find specific info on listing Extracurricular, Volunteer, Community Service in the AACOMAS app system.

 

When listing our activities, should we group like activities together?

For example, I have volunteered at two different residential care homes since high school. There is a 3 year gap in which I stopped at one and began at the other. The work I did is quite similar at both. Would it be good to combine the two experiences into one entry, listing the most recent organization in the organization field. Would the answer to this be different if it were not for the gap between organizations?

 

Also, I've played soccer competitively throughout high school and university (though not in varsity), captained, coached, and managed numerous adult teams, and coached a youth team. Would it be ideal to list these all in one entry?

 

Thank you.